Luggage theft on trains in Cornwall (merged topics)

[whole diary]

[vacman]

there was somescrote nicking bags in Cornwalllast year and he wasdone by BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) in the end.

[dog box]

its a bit of a fine balancing act really...the announcement "please do not leave luggage unattended" is pretty clumsy as it does suggest what previous posters have said...the luggage stacks are there for luggage and whilst on a quiet train luggage on a seat by your side is acceptable ..on a train which is full and standing its definately not.....on my trains you get ..."please be aware of the location of your luggage and personal items at all times". which is in my opinion much better whilst still getting the security message across

[Worcester_Passenger]

Reading this thread, I'm suddenly more paranoid about my luggage than I used to be!

One thing that I did notice when last I travelled with a case that was too big for the overhead rack is that you can't see the luggage racks at the end of an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) coach - the high seat backs prevent you from being "aware of your luggage at all times".

[dog box]

well WP if your that paranoid i should travel light in the future

[Worcester_Passenger]

well WP if your that paranoid i should travel light in the future

Normally do - but difficult when you're on your way back from 2 weeks sur le continent.

[vacman]

The most secure place for your luggage is in the power car! FGW^▸ (First Great Western) have now had the wisdom to put heavy luggage in the power rear power car now for people travelling from Plymouth and Cornwall to London on busy services.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

JAIL FOR ^20K BAG MAN OF PADDINGTON

A bag thief who stole almost ^20,000 worth of luggage and Christmas presents from rail passengers has been jailed following a British Transport Police investigation.

Adam Newton, a 21-year-old chef from Nottingham, but of no fixed abode, stole from 18 passengers during December of last year and February this year.

Yesterday, Tuesday 23 March, he was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to the offences at Southwark Crown Court.

He was also issued with a three-year antisocial behaviour order that precludes him from loitering at mainline London termini, bans him from loitering near luggage racks if he does not have a valid ticket for the train journey in question, and also prevents him from travelling on First Great Western services.

He was caught in the act and arrested by plain-clothes BTP officers who were on the look-out for him after he was linked to a string of offences, which saw him stealing from trains before they departed from Paddington station.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable David Graney, of BTP^s passenger property theft squad, said that Newton visited the station on various dates in December and February.

Passengers travelling to destinations across the country reported their belongings as having gone missing during their journeys.

After the various crime reports were linked and Paddington emerged as the common start-point, officers trawled CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) camera footage from all the dates in question.

^The people he targeted were travelling to a variety of destinations across the country,^ said Det Con Graney. ^Once all of the various crime reports were linked to Paddington and we analysed CCTV for the dates in question, it was clear that Newton was the serial thief we were looking for.^

^We set up a number of plain-clothes observation patrols and, when Newton returned to steal yet again, he was caught on board a train and arrested,^ he added.

Det Con Graney said that Newton stole a vast array of property including laptops, digital cameras, ipods, mobile phones, designer clothes and jewellery. ^Many of the items stolen in the lead-up to Christmas were presents that his victims had purchased in London during shopping trips to the capital,^ said Det Con Graney. ^From Louis Vuitton holdalls to Vivienne Westwood necklaces, Newton clearly had an eye for expensive things. He didn^t spare a thought for the people he took them from and we welcome the custodial sentence that has been handed to him.^

Det Con Graney also issued a warning to passengers to always keep an eye on their belongings. ^It is essential that you keep an eye on your possessions at all times when travelling,^ he said. ^Thieves do target trains before they leave mainline stations and they are particularly drawn to items that are left unattended. Don^t make it easy for them.^

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) press release:

British Transport Police (BTP) officers are appealing for the public^s help to identify a man they would like to speak to in connection with the theft of a passenger^s luggage from a train in Cornwall.

On Tuesday 18 May, a passenger on board the 1400hrs Penzance to London Paddington service reported that a man removed her black Antler case from a luggage rack on board the train before alighting at Truro rail station and making off from the station.

Officers investigating the incident viewed CCTV footage and identified a man in his 20s who boarded the train at Redruth rail station and who they believe can help with their enquiries.

PC Bob Edwards said: ^I would ask anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV images to contact us. The man we would like to speak to is described as white, in his 20s, about 5ft 11in with short, dark hair. He wore bleached denim jeans, sandals with white socks and a distinctive white and black hooded sports top.^

[Tim]

Good to see that these CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) images are  being released quicker than they have been in the past.

Some good shots too so hopefully someone knows who he is.

[inspector_blakey]

I've never really understood this criminal MO. Do people really carry around stuff that's particularly valuable in their suitcases? I assume that laptops/briefcases etc are unlikely to get put on the luggage racks. Whenever I travel with a suitcase, it's mostly full of boring and not-very-valuable stuff like clothes (clean or not, depending on whether I'm going there or on the way back!) and a toothbrush.

[Tim]

who knows Blakey.  I expect that this is an oportunist crime (scrote is already on train and thinks "might as well nick a case") which means that it is the kind of thing that might be detered if Truro has ticket barriers as I would put money on this particular scrote not having a ticket. 

[vacman]

he should be arrested for wearing white socks with sandalls!

[Nemesis]

Unfortunately, many drug dependency induced crimes defy logic.  Someone desperate for a fix, will steal almost anything to sell on and obtain the readies.  I am not suggesting that this chap is definitely a junkie, but it is certainly possible.

[caliwag]

Am I missing something? I don't seem to be able upload picture.

[grahame]

Am I missing something? I don't seem to be able upload picture.

Let's see ...